March 17, 2025
Realizing there would never be a “right” time to go back to college, Tpr. Ben Breslin just went for it. He enrolled at Cleary University in late 2024. By this time next year, he’ll have earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with very little out of pocket costs.
“I knew going into trooper recruit school that I wasn’t required to have a college degree, so I took a few community college classes with the intention to finish in the future,” said Trooper Breslin, assigned to the First District Emergency Support (ES) Team. “When I learned how much financial support was available, and how continuing education will benefit me professionally, the decision was easy.”
Trooper Breslin is one of 296 Michigan State Police (MSP) members to take advantage of discounted education offerings and the department’s Supplemental Tuition Reimbursement Program, which began in the fall of 2022.
To encourage continuing education, all full-time MSP employees are eligible to request reimbursement for up to $2,500 in tuition reimbursement per fiscal year. Troopers and sergeants are also eligible for a maximum tuition reimbursement of $1,700 per fiscal year through their union.
“Our tuition reimbursement program is in addition to benefits offered through partnerships we’ve created with several colleges and universities to make continuing education obtainable for our members,” said F/Lt. Siera Hammond, commander of the Enforcement Career Development Section. “We’ve intentionally expanded those opportunities to supplement tuition reimbursement. That could mean credit hours offered for job experience, trainings and completion of trooper recruit school, and even discounts available to family members of our employees.”
Dr. Juli Liebler, senior deputy director of the Professional Development Bureau, joined the MSP from Michigan State University. Her experience in that setting was invaluable when growing the department’s continuing education program.
“Maintaining a growth mindset prepares each one of us for challenges we face on the job and in professional and personal development,” said Dr. Liebler. “We hope these opportunities show our members that we care about their future and the possibility to promote, which increases with continuing education. It’s also a great recruitment tool because we’ll train you for the job and pay for additional education.”
The MSP is actively recruiting for many positions. Discover what’s possible with a career with the MSP and learn more at mi.gov/MSPjobs.
